Mentors II: The Wound
by RavensMind
Summary: Adapting to life outside of the Titans, Robin and Raven face new challenges with the occasional support of Raven's mentor and Batman. With the absence of Raven and Robin, the Titans begin to realize what they've taken for granted as 2 new Titans are recruited. Not everyone was happy with Raven and Robin departing, and some are willing to risk everything to change it all.
1. 1: Reflection

(It's finally here. The sequel to Mentors…Funny story, I had the first five chapters typed up and was ready to publish it in May, but it was on an external hard drive – which decided to commit suicide for no reason a couple of days later. So, this will be the 2nd time this story is told, let's hope that makes it better! I'll have another comment at the end of this chapter, so please read that as well. Hope this was worth the wait! ~RavensMind~)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, characters, properties, etc. All credit for the creations go to the original authors.

**Mentors 2: The Wound**

**Chapter 1: Reflection**

~There must always be conflict. There must always be wars to be waged, especially the ones that push man above what "man" is. Never will a pursuit be greater than this. What "is" is dynamic. Define only what was and leave the carcass for the scavengers. Said scavengers must be quick and able to traverse any terrain, and always…they must trust that there will be another carcass. If the scavenger is a raven…it usually needs something else to create death… and something always does...~

"Much better. You are improving at a much faster rate than I anticipated, you may yet learn what power has long been eluding you," Azar said, watching Raven train.

"Good, I'm getting tired of these small-scale exercises with my powers," Raven said.

"I fear that this rate of learning will not last much longer though, mostly due to the boy," Azar said.

Within the confines of Raven's room, she and Azar were training her mind more rigorously than usual. It wasn't often that Azar was allowed this much time with her, as Robin was still wary of Azar, but he was pre-occupied. Robin had locked himself away for weeks within one of Wayne Manor's studies and had been furiously pursuing leads for a particularly clever criminal. This wasn't exactly new, but it had gone on longer than it usually did. Raven hadn't seen him at all during those weeks, although she had spoken to him telepathically several times – all yielding the same result or answers.

"You think he'll find whoever he's looking for?" Raven asked, hopefully.

"No, I think he'll find you more appealing than his research again before long," Azar replied.

"I've tried to get him to talk to me about who he's looking for, but he never tells me. Do you think he's concerned about the cult?" Raven asked.

"It has been four months since I helped you, and the Titans, be free of them and your father's influence. I doubt that is who he is searching for…" Azar said, letting her voice trail off.

"You know who he's searching for…don't you?" Raven asked.

"Yes, I do," Azar replied.

"Aren't you going to tell me?" Raven asked.

"No. It will ruin your concentration. Appreciate the time he has unwittingly given us to train your mind. Be mindful, you're about to come crashing down," Azar warned.

Raven was levitating in her cross-legged position over her bed, which was encircled by a ring of red flame. The fire could not burn anything, which made it safe to use indoors, it was instead an elaborate healing aura that behaved as fire with the opposite effect. Azar had been helping Raven cultivate certain powers accidentally left to her by Trigon. Standing by the door, Azar watched with a critical eye, ready to correct Raven's technique.

"Do you think he is bored with me at all, or is he sacrificing time with me to catch a dangerous criminal?" Raven asked.

"You know him better than I, but based on his past actions, I can only believe the latter to be true. You waste time dwelling on his concerns, this energy is better spent now, furthering your abilities," Azar replied.

"So you don't care?" Raven asked.

"Quite the contrary, the boy is almost as important to me as he is to you, he must struggle with this compulsion to find the culprit. I do not help him as I help you because it would not be welcomed, and this brand of aid is not useful to him or what he is doing. Your abilities must be cultivated carefully, so you can impart your knowledge to him. I am primarily here for you," Azar said.

"I…can feel his stress, as if I was there researching with him, it's an added weight that is making this training more difficult. Could we stop for the day?" Raven asked.

"I suppose so, you've made enough progress to justify that," Azar said.

Ending her spell, Raven slowly descended onto the bed as the red flames burned out. She stretched out on the bed and took in several deep breaths, feeling the exhaustion begin to set in. Every time she channeled some energy through her powers, she could feel some sort of satisfaction within, as if she fed her energy by wielding it regularly. Azar had been teaching her many such techniques over the past couple of years; Raven was now more capable than she had ever been. Robin had been learning some tricks here and there, to safeguard his mind, and Raven's. Most of their most intimate moments were now taking place within their minds during those intense moments of learning and understanding. This was not at all to suggest that their physical pleasures were lacking, just that they found other meaningful ways to connect like never before. They had been apart and over-stressed for weeks, and that took its toll on both of them in different ways.

"There is much that hangs in your mind at the moment…do not let these things linger. Whatever you may be worrying about may not necessarily be real," Azar said, standing beside the bed shrouded in a dark mist.

"We have heard from the other Titans recently…Starfire still doesn't accept Robin and me. I had hoped that she would in time, understand. Somehow I knew…it was never going to happen. I just worry what she may try to do in her desperation," Raven explained, frowning slightly.

"You are wise to be concerned about that one, she is…unstable – now that the one who served as the thing to ground her no longer belongs to her. Her response will be anticipated, but the way she chooses to respond will be unpredictable. I will assist you in any capacity that I am able to," Azar explained.

"I am not afraid for Robin or myself, I am afraid of what may become of her and our friends. I don't want to alienate if I don't have to, and I definitely do not want to hurt any of our friends," Raven said.

"I know. But be honest with yourself, are they truly still your friends? Were they ever?" Azar asked.

"I…I can't even answer that. Let me think on it. Is that terrible to say?" Raven asked.

"Never. Reflection is necessary and painful truths are more useful to you than blind affection. But you know this," Azar said.

"Thank you. I'll think about all of this and see what Robin feels, if I ever see him again," Raven said, frowning yet again.

"That one is more passionate than I could have anticipated, and he will come when he has reached a point of pure exhaustion. Which may be sooner than you expect," Azar said, reassuring her.

"I know, I'm just tired of waiting for him," Raven said.

"Unfortunately, our time together is up… You have made remarkable progress in your training, be proud of such leaps and celebrate them. I trust you'll know what you must do in regards to your friends in time. Until our next meeting," Azar said, beginning to fade into nothingness.

"Thank you again, Azar," Raven said.

"Anything for you, dear girl," Azar replied before vanishing completely.

Despite the powers at her command, Azar could not afford to spend too much time away from the tomb that she had made home, for it had been infused by Azar with some preservative and restorative magics that kept Azar at the top of her form. It was going to be lonely for Raven after Azar left. For the past several weeks, the only people Raven had had contact with were Alfred and Azar. Terra had called a few times to talk, but that was it. A lot of thoughts were doing laps in the pool that was her mind and she was finding it difficult to center herself once more. It should come naturally to her now, one would think, but she was struggling. Just then, there was a knock at her door. Robin, she sensed.

"Raven? Can I come in?" Robin asked from behind the door.

"Yes," Raven replied, sitting up on the bed.

Entering the room, Robin shut the door behind him and looked longingly over to Raven. Robin looked as if he hadn't slept in a while or cut his hair, and appeared sluggish. Despite Robin's appearance, Raven returned the same gaze and gave him a warm smile. Robin only took a few steps before Raven was up off of the bed and had her arms around him.

"This was just what I wanted," Robin said, holding her, "I was kind of afraid you'd be angry with me."

"How could I be angry with you? You were doing something important and I understand how you needed to do it. No distractions," Raven said.

"I want you to know how hard it is-," he started to explain.

"I know. I could feel how stressed you were, how torn, and how badly you wanted to be done. Just take it easy now, relax and I'll…think of something for us to do," she said, pulling away and grinning at him.

"Umm…I'd love to, but I'm kind of tired for that…" he said, smiling at her.

"Something less strenuous then…a bath or shower?" she asked.

"Great idea," he said, as enthusiastically as he could manage.

"We need to discuss a few things at some point…tomorrow might be better for it," she said.

"You're right, it would," he said, chuckling a little.

"Hmm…I think I like your hair longer, Robin," she said as they started walking to the bathroom with an arm around the back of each other.

"Do you? Funny, I liked your hair longer too," he said.

"When was my hair long?" she asked.

"When we dealt with Trigon, I found you and brought you back to fight him, you grew quickly and your hair was longer for some odd reason," he said.

"Ah, yes…Do you want me to grow it out like that now?" she asked.

"If you grow yours out, I'll grow mine out," he said.

"That's an _attractive_ offer," she said, chuckling slightly.

"You think so?" he asked.

"You don't?" she asked.

"Well…" he started.

"Finish that thought and you can forget living past it," she said.

Robin laughed and said, "thank you for being so understanding about these past few weeks, I promise I'll make it up to you."

"You don't need to promise, I know you will, because I believe in you and I love you," Raven said, smiling.

"I love you too," Robin said, pulling her in tighter as they walked in to the bathroom to prepare for their night together.

Amidst the rubble of the Titans' kitchen, Terra picked up an opened can of some soy product and gritted her teeth as she tossed it at Beast Boy.

"Why? Why? I don't even…How did this happen?" Terra asked Beast Boy, furious.

"Cyborg said that soy sucks, and it doesn't, so we…got into a fight," Beast Boy said.

"Great. You know we're supposed to be getting ready for the newly recruited Titans to move in, and now this happens…You and Cyborg are fixing the kitchen, I don't care how long it takes, just get it done before the new recruits show up," Terra said.

"That'll take foreevvvveerrr," Beast Boy whined.

"Don't care. Get it done," Terra said.

"Come on…" Beast Boy pleaded.

"How did Robin and Raven deal with this for so long? Amazing. Clean it up, fix it up, I'll be monitoring the city," Terra said.

Beginning to pick things up, Beast Boy slowly assembled what was in the kitchen cabinets and stacked them in the corner of the living room. Then, Starfire glided into the room and approached Terra hastily.

"May I have a few days off so that I may go and see Robin?" Starfire asked.

"No. No one is going anywhere until the new recruits have arrived," Terra said.

"Who are these two recruits again?" Beast Boy asked.

"You'll meet 'em soon, don't worry – Cy and I figured everything out, they seem like they'll be great for the team," Terra said.

"Why will you not tell us their names at least?" Starfire asked.

"It's better if you meet them without any preconceptions, they're different," Terra said.

"'Preconceptions'?" Beast Boy asked.

"I talked about this with Raven, she had some good ideas about how to handle it," Terra said.

"Handle what?" Beast Boy asked.

"You guys meeting them," Terra said.

"Can we-," Beast Boy started.

"Just fix up the damn kitchen already and stop trying to avoid it," Terra said, annoyed.

"Where is Cyborg?" Starfire asked.

"He is picking up and bringing the two recruits here in the T-Car, they'll be here in a few days. This gives Beast Boy enough time to fix the kitchen, but you may have to help him, Star," Terra said.

As different as things were without Robin and Raven, it could be said that no one expected what would follow and just how different things would be with these new recruits.

(In the original write-up of the first few chapters of this story, before it was lost, I had decided to create some OCs as the 2 new Titan recruits. Let me know if this is something you'd want to see or not, otherwise I'll pick from the East or something. The OCs wouldn't get too involved, they would not be the focus at all, and neither would the East Titans I'd pick. Glad to be back writing this, in all honesty. I hope you enjoy reading it. Review please, I adore feedback! Next chapter may be up around July 7th or so, I'll try to get a regular update schedule going soon. ~RavensMind~)


	2. 2: Oh, the Intro

(The wait between this chapter and the previous one was long because I have some other commitments I'm dealing with. The updates will become more regular in time. Pretty soon, I hope. I've scaled back the time a bit between Mentors and this sequel, 4 months is more reasonable than 2 years. So, without further ado, I present the two new Titans within this chapter, I hope you like them! ~RavensMind~)

**Chapter 2 – Oh, the Intro...**

Waking from her deep sleep, Raven slowly lifted her head as Robin gently shook her awake.

"Someone better be dead," Raven said groggily.

"They should be, but no… Beast Boy is on the line," Robin said, handing Raven her communicator.

"And you didn't hang up because….?" Raven asked.

"Raven…" Robin started.

"Fine," she said as she brought the communicator to her face to see Beast Boy staring back.

"Hey Rae, what's up?" Beast Boy asked enthusiastically.

"Your time on this planet. What do you want?" Raven asked, annoyed.

"Terra said that the new Titans will be at the tower soon, but uh…I want to know what they're like first," Beast Boy said.

"You woke me up…so you could learn something you'd know soon anyway?" Raven asked, angrily.

"Uh…yeah," Beast Boy said, wishing he hadn't called.

With that, Raven ended the call, and tossed the communicator to the end of the bed. Slowly laying her head down once more, she curled up, preparing to fall back asleep, until Robin nudged her carefully.

"What now?" she groaned.

"I just want you to know that next time he calls, I'm blocking the transmission for the next hundred years," he said.

"Must be my birthday," she said, giving a low chuckle.

"Yours and mine," he said, putting an arm around her.

"So…can I go back to sleep now?" she asked.

"Not yet. I wanted to ask you something," he said.

"Fine..." she said, her eyes opening fully.

"Where do you see this going? I mean, we can't stay here forever," he said.

"I don't know I was planning on learning from Azar for some time so that we could be better prepared. Do you have a problem with staying here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm in Batman's shadow..." he said.

"If that bothered you, why didn't you mention it before we came here?" she asked, twisting around to face him.

"You wanted to leave the tower quickly, I was worried about you, and I thought we'd be safe here until we dealt with whatever was trying to hurt us," he explained.

"I see... What do you want Robin?" she asked.

"I don't want to be here, working under him," he said.

Sitting up, Robin crossed his arms and sighed. As his mind began to sink into itself, he felt Raven prod it with a mental finger, directing it to her. She sat up and put an arm around him, feeling his discomfort.

"Then we'll leave...just find a suitable alternative," she said.

"Just like that?" he asked.

"Why not? There is nothing holding us here," she said, gently massaging his shoulder.

"You're handling this better than I thought you would and-. That feels really good..." he said, commenting on the massage.

"If it does, you're more tense than you seem. I think we both need to move on from our pasts, maybe there's something more that we could do besides move," Raven said.

"Like?" Robin asked.

"Maybe an image change would help you forget what's bothering you if we do move," she said.

"It's funny you mentioned that, I've been thinking about it lately...and you," he said.

"Oh? And what might I have to do with it?" she asked.

"Since we'll be doing this together, we should have a united image. So...how does 'Nightwing' sound to you?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Very complimentary and...complementary," she said, chuckling a little.

"I thought you'd like that," he said with an even wider smile.

"So, 'Nightwing,' you'd better get ready. Azar wants me to meditate with you more, it will help focus this new power I learned from her," she said.

"What new power?" he asked.

"Let's just say this power makes it so this bird cannot be caged," she said, giving a small grin.

"That sounds useful, but... I'm worried about this, I'm worried you'll go too far to learn so much," he said.

"If I do...I swear I will tell you. I need you to keep me grounded and safe, even from my own mind," she said, looking away as she ceased massaging his shoulder.

"I'll do whatever it takes. So, should we start meditating?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

Climbing out from under the sheets and covers, they sat upon the bed, facing one another. Each assumed the proper position and began levitating off the bed. Hovering in the air, Raven and Robin chanted their mantra as one. Finding repose, they allowed their minds to intersect, soothing the thoughts and feelings running through each of them. Raven extended to Robin through their flowing connection a single thought. Robin smiled, as Raven had now dubbed this mediation session as "Nightwing's Birthday".

Driving in from the warm summer heat, Cyborg let the T Car roll to a halt within the garage at Titans Tower. Closing the garage door, he turned to the first recruit, who was sitting uncomfortably in the passenger seat. They had had a rather extensive conversation on the way to the tower, mostly regarding the Titans' style of living and various procedures involved with managing the city. Cyborg was the first to get to know the new Titans and he tried to make them feel as welcome as he could, considering what Beast Boy might do to ruin that feeling.

The first recruit, Valora, a young woman about Beast Boy's age, was odd - to say the very least. She had the power to confuse or petrify enemies with various illusions. She was aided in flying with a jetpack given to her by one of her close reasons. Along with the various powers that created these illusions, she could defend herself with a staff infused with this power of illusion. More than this, she did not say, instead - she opted to give a demonstration later.

In the backseat behind her, the other recruit sat impatiently. The Razor, as he called himself, was Terra's age. He fought with a veracity that set him apart from the other candidates. His physical prowess was well-known to underworld, as he was one of the few who still chose to fight with a sword. Cyborg had asked about the peculiar blade, but Razor wouldn't give him any details on it.

"So, here she is - our tower. You guys ready to meet the team?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, thanks for picking us up - I could've flown," Valora said.

"And miss a chance to drive my baby cross country? No way," Cyborg said.

"I still say you should add a turret on the back," Razor said.

"I'll think about it. Now grab your stuff and let's go see the others," Cyborg said, getting out of the car.

Collecting their things, Valora and Razor followed Cyborg into the elevator.

"I think you guys'll fit in fine here," Cyborg said, as he hit the button to take them to the living room floor.

Meanwhile, Starfire was pacing in her room, somehow unable to get Robin's image out of her head. Occasionally, Raven appeared in that image, and it only served to enrage her further. This wasn't right, she thought. Nothing was normal; everything was slipping away from her. She needed to get Robin away from Raven and back into her arms. Starfire remembered Trigon's followers, and how desperate they were to get a hold of Raven. She dared to wonder if they might be willing to help. There was a rush of air that drifted past her ear and she thought she heard a faint voice mutter: "...so, the cult of regret recruits another follower...strike 2..."

(So, these new characters will be around. I have the plot almost completely figured out, just a few questions I'd like to answer for myself first. The next update will be on the 21st of July. Sorry for the long waits, I'm busier than usual this summer. More to come. And since this is the intro for the OCs, I'd appreciate more feedback on this chapter than usual. Thank you! ~RavensMind~)


	3. 3: Revised, Rise and Conquer

(Here is Chapter 3, enjoy as always ~RavensMind~)

Chapter 3: Revised, Rise and Conquer

As the elevator reached the main floor, Cyborg turned to Razor and Valora. They were both nervously fidgeting while leaning on the wall of the elevator. While they hadn't spoken to any of the other Titans, they had heard of them before – and the two recruits didn't feel like they deserved to be working with them. Cyborg was nice enough to them, but he still seemed intimidating to them.

"Relax guys. You've got nothing to worry about, we'll get you guys caught up quickly and before you know it – you'll be picking off bad guys in your sleep," Cyborg said, reassuringly.

"Yeah…Just can't believe I'll be doing it with you guys, it's…unreal," Razor said, stepping off the elevator with Cyborg and Valora.

"Do Robin and Raven visit much?" Valora asked, looking around – inspecting the hall.

"We talk every now and then, but they haven't been back here since they left the Titans," Cyborg said, as they walked to the living room.

"Why not?" Valora asked.

"They're busy dealing with the criminals in the city they moved to and…I don't think Raven wants to be around Beast Boy anymore, but I'm not sure," Cyborg said.

As they entered the living room, a fork flew past them and hit the floor in the hallway. Beast Boy was standing with his arm extended on the opposite side of the sofa directly in front of them, Terra was ducking behind the sofa, and Starfire was standing off to the side with a surprised look on her face. A very appropriate welcome…

"What in the…? Guys, I told you to be ready to meet the new recruits and be…just," Cyborg said, pausing to sigh heavily before continuing, "Valora, Razor, these are your new teammates – Terra, Starfire, and…Beast Boy."

Terra stood up and walked over to greet Razor and Valora, brushing her hair with her hand before extending it.

"Terra. Cool to meet you," Terra said, as Razor accepted her offer for a handshake.

"'Cool' to meet you, too," Razor said.

Starfire practically rushed over to greet Valora before Terra could even turn her head. Embracing Valora and picking her up, Starfire smiled and said, "Greetings, Valora – I am Starfire. I know you will be a glorious new friend!"

Briefly stunned, Valora adjusted before speaking, "it's nice to meet you and all but, Starfire…put me down." Starfire complied and gently let Valora back down. Starfire swiveled around and did the same thing for Razor, ignoring his protest. "Starfire, hi…put me down," Razor said. Starfire did so, and then Terra turned and offered her hand to Valora.

"Nice to meet you, Terra," Valora said, shaking her hand.

"Can't wait to see what you two can do," Terra said.

As Terra spoke, Beast Boy climbed over the couch and leapt in front of Razor.

"Dude, you play video games?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not really. Too busy sparring and looking for crooks," Razor said.

"So, no fun?" Beast Boy asked.

"That is fun," Razor said.

"Sure…whatever, dude," Beast Boy said, turning from him to face Valora, "Do _you_ play video games?"

"I mostly play mind games, don't bother picking up a controller for these…you won't win," Valora said.

"Yeah? Try me," Beast Boy said.

"I already did. You lost, by the way," Valora said, grinning slightly.

"What?!" Beast Boy asked, confusedly.

"Relax, Beast Boy. I'll show you two to your rooms now, if you'd like," Terra said.

"Yeah, I'd like to get my things in order," Razor said.

"Sure, I want to rest anyway," Valora said.

"Okay, follow me," Terra said, leading them from the living room as Cyborg led Beast Boy aside while Starfire went to the kitchen to get something to eat.

Walking down the hall, Terra positioned herself in between Razor and Valora. She was pleasantly surprised with Razor and Valora, she hadn't expected them to be as nice as they seemed. After Robin and Raven left, she was convinced they wouldn't get replacements, or any that were nice at all. Maybe what was going on at that time had more effect on her than she knew? She hoped they would all get along well, although Valora seemed to already pick up on Beast Boy's personality. Razor reminded her of Robin in a way, but he was still different.

"So, did you two know each other before you came here?" Terra asked.

"No, we just met when Cyborg picked us up and drove us here," Razor said.

"Okay. So is either of you involved with anyone?" Terra asked.

"No-," Razor started.

"Why?" Valora interrupted.

"Just curious," Terra said.

"No," Valora said.

"I'm sure we'll have more time to talk later, but Razor, here is your room – Robin's old room. Get set up and whatever you need, we're here," Terra said.

"Cool. Thanks, Terra. I'll talk to you guys later," Razor said, walking into the room and turning on the light.

"Anytime," Terra said, walking away from Razor with Valora.

They continued down the hall in relative silence as Terra wasn't sure how Valora might react to her questions.

"So…what do you do for fun?" Terra asked.

"Honestly? I mess with people's heads and writing," Valora replied.

"I'm starting to really like you," Terra said, chuckling.

"I like you too. Could we talk later? I just need someone to talk to is all," Valora said.

"Sure!" Terra said, as they walked up to Raven's room, "here's your room – Raven's old room. I'll come and check on you later, okay?"

"Sounds good," Valora said, as she opened Raven's door and walked in to the room, turning on the lights.

"You guys will do fine here, I know it!" Terra said.

"Thanks for the support," Valora said.

"It's what we're here for," Terra said.

Terra walked away, content, and optimistic about their new team members, wondering how the criminals in Jump were going to react now that the Titans were going to be back in full force.

(Sorry these last two were short, I'll try and make the next one longer now that my classes are done. As always, thanks for reading, and I'd love any feedback for these new characters and the story! ~RavensMind~)


	4. 4: 'Nightwing' vs 'Robin'

(I'm sorry for not mentioning when this chapter would be up in the previous update. Enjoy! ~RavensMind~)

Chapter 4: 'Nightwing' vs. 'Robin'

"Such an interesting choice, one that deserves a little discussion between us, don't you think?" Azar said, appearing behind Robin, surprising him.

After telling Raven about his desire for a change of scenery and identity and their short mediation session, Robin had dressed quickly and rushed back down to do some more research. For he thought he was so close to finding this criminal, he figured it would not take much time. He hadn't elaborated on his choice to change his crime-fighting symbol and identity with Raven yet, and already Azar wanted to talk to him about it. Whatever that entailed, he didn't know, but he could tell she had an agenda – she usually did.

"Could we do this later? I'm busy," Robin said, typing at his computer.

"No. We must discuss it now, lest you continue as you do…and I would hate for that to happen, we don't want things to get too messy again, do we?" Azar asked.

"What do you know?" Robin asked, spinning around in his office chair.

"I know you. I know what you're considering. Most importantly, I know what you need to do to help yourself, Raven, and your next city of choice," Azar said.

"So tell me, or let me do my work," Robin said.

"Straight to the point, how refreshing. Raven is having a good effect on you. The way you've been dealing with these criminals has not been efficient…you catch them, but they escape and return to their ways within months of being apprehended. Perhaps you might consider-," Azar began to explain, until Robin interrupted her.

"No way. We're not going to kill them - that is not what we do," Robin said.

"Oh, you say that now, but a moment will come when the choice is either the prolonged suffering and deaths of many, or the life of one determined delusional individual. Can you step outside of that little shell of black and white ethics for a moment to wonder how things might be so much better…for you, for your city? But killing them is not what I suggest," Azar said.

"…Then what else is there?" Robin asked.

"A different sort of prison. They wouldn't be dead and they would not be allowed to leave without passing certain checks. And those criminals could be studied to understand what makes them…kick and shoot. You Titans would be very efficient hunters to get these criminals trapped there, they can hardly manage to stand against you as it is, but it requires you to be more…aggressive than you're used to," Azar said.

"I don't like how this sounds. This prison sounds like it's too harsh of a punishment. It is not how the system works here, and I wouldn't be okay with it. And 'hunting' just…I don't like how you're putting all of this," Robin said.

"Given the choice, I believe you would not have hesitated to put the murderers who killed your parents in this place…given the choice, I believe your black and white ethics shell would have struggled against your will to not be ripped apart," Azar said.

"Maybe…but I would have regretted doing it. I know what you're trying to do, Azar," Robin said.

"No, you only know that I'm trying to get you to change your mind, nothing further – and that is a shame, I'd hoped Raven was getting you to learn more," Azar said.

"Have you talked to her about this "prison"?" Robin asked.

"Yes. She is almost as against it as you, reserving her change of opinion on the condition that I tell her more of this prison and she finds out how trying helping the next city proves to be," Azar said.

"I'll talk about it with the two of you, then. Right now, I want to catch this bastard," Robin said.

"You're not going to catch this one by searching randomly on your computer, or through your normal investigative techniques. This one will come to you, directly, in fact. Do catch them, though, 'Robin' – 'Nightwing' will need assurances that his friends will not be at risk," Azar said.

"You know who it is? Tell me!" Robin exclaimed.

"No. Everything you need to catch them has already been given to you. Besides, they are unwittingly helping me with a certain problem I'm having," Azar said.

"And what is that?" Robin asked, annoyed.

"Oh, I've lit this Fire that just won't burn quickly enough. When the last of that tinder is ash, I'll let you know, until then – I'm afraid you'll just have to wish upon whatever Stars that have been good to you," Azar said.

"That's supposed to give me a clue, that much I can tell," Robin said, listening to Azar's words.

"Very good. It'll come to you. Oh, will it come to you," Azar said, disappearing into the shadows.

Discovering the hint in Azar's words, Robin struggled in that moment to wonder. Why is Starfire a problem? Is she still wrapped up in the idea that I'll somehow come back to her, Robin wondered to himself. He needed to know, but he was worried that if he contacted the tower and asked about her in any way, it would be seen by Starfire as some sort of attempt to seek her – if she still had such thoughts. If Raven did it instead, it might only make Starfire more determined to think as she might.

Getting out of his chair, Robin left the office he was using and went upstairs to Raven's room. Raven said she would be resting the whole day, due to the nature of some of the spells she was learning. He wondered if he should save the matter for later, but he decided not to, mostly due to the tone of Azar's questions and suggestions.

"Raven?" Robin asked, opening her door.

Raven was lying in bed, as he had left her that morning. She was slow to wake, but came around eventually, as the sound of Robin closing the door echoed in the room.

"What?" Raven asked, sitting up halfway.

"We have to talk about something," he said, crossing the room to her.

"Yes?' she asked.

"Azar mentioned some sort of idea for a "prison" and hinted that the criminal I'm trying to find is going to deal with Starfire in some way, she might still think that I'll come back," he explained.

"I think we should talk to Azar together about her ideas on the prison, I'm surprised she went out of her way to mention it to you instead of waiting for me. As for Starfire…I can't say that I'm surprised about that," she said.

"Why? Did Azar say something to you about Star?" he asked.

"No, but the way you described her when she came here that day makes me think that it isn't unreasonable to think she still has a problem with us. Aliens…" she said.

"This is serious, if this criminal gets ahold of Starfire, I don't know what will happen to the others," he said.

"Honestly…I'm more concerned with what will happen to the criminal than with what happens to Starfire, unless Starfire turns out to be a criminal here," she said.

"Don't say that, she's still your friend, and you're still hers, and she won't do anything to hurt either of us," he said.

"I hope you're right…but, I'd rather know you're right," she said, getting an idea.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, "I don't think we should go to the tower."

"We won't have to," she said, "supposing this works out."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I met one of the recruits a few years ago, they helped me out of a difficult situation I was in with another criminal, and I asked you if I could make them an honorary Teen Titan. That's how they ended up higher in the selection pool of their new recruits, I'm very happy with one of their choices," she said.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"This will work better if you don't know, you'll have to trust me on this – they can let us know what Starfire might be doing or thinking," she said.

"You think we need a spy?" he asked.

"If Starfire is serious – then yes," she said.

"Nice idea," he said.

"I thought you would object," she said, surprised.

"'Robin' does, 'Nightwing' doesn't," he said, smiling at her.

"I could get used to you, Nightwing," she said, returning the smile.

Walking down the hall in Titans Tower, Terra headed back to check on Valora, hoping that she had given her enough time to get settled. There was a lot to do still, Razor and Valora had to be acquainted with the rest of the tower and shown various procedures. Also, they would have to begin sparring with the other team members, to not only display their skills, but also learn the many combat techniques the team had refined. Still, Terra figured they could afford to take some time to unwind and get better acquainted with each other.

Anticipating all the fun they could have with these new recruits as friends, Terra thought of Robin and Raven. It would have been sweet to see how they might have acted together if they hadn't left the team. Would the team have two leaders, instead of one and a second-in command? Would Robin have let Raven slide on certain duties, or the other way around? Probably not, but what did it matter now? They left. She missed them, but wondered if they might have been right to leave considering everything that was happening. May-Oh, what now?

Terra stopped short when she saw Beast Boy standing outside Valora's door with a water-balloon ready to throw. He can't be serious...

"Beast Boy! Drop it," Terra ordered, approaching him.

"C'mon, Terra, it's just a joke," Beast Boy said.

"Don't care, put it down," Terra responded.

"Fine," he said, sighing heavily as he made to drop it – but didn't. Instead, he threw it towards Terra, who easily dodged it as it went sailing past her and exploded against the wall.

"Missed. You never could hit me with that. Now go find Cyborg and play a game or whatever," Terra said.

"Why? I want to see these guys again – where did you find these weirdos anyway?" Beast Boy asked.

"They're not 'weirdos,' they're you're teammates, and you should be cool to them, because they'll be out there with us, and when you fall down– they might be picking you up," Terra said.

"You have to admit, this girl is-," Beast Boy started.

"Cool. And guess what? She probably already doesn't like you, big surprise there. Just get lost, BB," Terra said.

"Fine," he said, storming off with the motions of a pouting teenager.

Terra almost didn't believe what just happened. Almost. Really, it should have been expected. She was happy that Cyborg was not helping him with those little pranks and jokes anymore, maybe if he saw that only he thought it was cool or funny he might stop. Right, Terra, that'll happen, she thought.

Approaching Valora's door, Terra knocked twice and waited for an answer. She thought she heard Valora talking inside.

"-hold on. Who is it?" Valora asked from inside.

"It's Terra, wanna talk?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, sure, just a second, Terra- I've got to go, yes, I'll do it," Valora said.

The door opened and Valora emerged, smiling at Terra.

"Who were you talking to?" Terra asked.

"Just an old friend of mine. So, where do you want to go?" Valora asked.

"Do you like pizza?" Terra asked.

"Yes," Valora said.

"Then come on, I know a great spot downtown…if it's not under renovations again," Terra said.

"Hmm?" Valora asked.

"Seems like every time we go there, some crook decides to attack us and well…the place has seen better days and worse days, then better days," Terra said.

"I'd like to see them try and screw with you now, I'll stop them before they can blink," Valora said.

"Really?" Terra asked.

"Well, almost. You'll see later when we're practicing," Valora said.

"Right, let's go," Terra said.

(Next chapter should be up on August 11th. ~RavensMind~)


	5. 5: The World Will Watch

(Read, review, and enjoy as always! ~RavensMind~)

Chapter 5: The World Will Watch

As Razor exited his room, Starfire ambushed him. Ever so hyper and happy, she beamed at him with a searching gaze.

"Do you approve of your room?" Starfire asked.

"Umm...Yeah, it's nice - I mean there's no good spot to secure some swords or something in case of intruders, but it'll work," Razor said.

"It was Robin's- he- he didn't do that," Starfire said, trying not to go off on her own problem.

"Not sure why he wouldn't prepare for that, unless he was confident of the tower's security. At any rate, I was going to try and find you - I found this envelope with your name with on it," Razor said, handing her the envelope.

Taking the envelope, Starfire looked at it and couldn't tell whose handwriting it was in. She opened it and took out a folded up piece of paper. Unfolded - the paper had a message that said 'Please read in private.'

"That seems...different," Razor said peeking at it.

Starfire hid it behind her back and smiled at him.

"Would you mind if I went to go and read this for a while, friend?" Starfire asked.

"Go ahead, I'll go find Cyborg or something," Razor said.

Walking away, Starfire left Razor to go back to her room. Walking down the hall, she wondered what the letter was. Could it be from Robin? It wasn't in his handwriting, so she doubted it was, and if it wasn't from him, that meant that someone else had snuck a note into the tower. Should she show it to the other Titans? Maybe it was just a letter from a fan in the city.

Entering her room, she sat down on her bed and unfolded the letter. It read: "Starfire, I am an old friend of Robin's, and I am very concerned about him. He told me a lot about you and your friends. I'm writing to you because I believe you are the only one of his friends who can help. If you can help, please meet me at the address listed below. I would appreciate it if you did not bring the rest of the Titans with you, as that will draw attention to my crime-fighting operation. Thank you, A friend."

If something was happening with Robin, she knew she had to help, but she wondered why none of the others knew. Maybe whoever wrote the letter knew more than they did, but they couldn't put it in the letter in case someone else found it. If that were true, then Robin was in more trouble than she was already guessing. Starfire decided that she would leave the tower and meet this friend of Robin's as quickly as she could.

Sitting with Valora, Terra checked her communicator to see if any of the Titans had called on their way over. No one had. Good news. Now to wait for the pizza. Since the Titans were at the pizza place so often, the staff knew their usual orders, so all they really needed to was show up and they'd get their food quicker than anyone else. Valora had said she wasn't picky, so Terra didn't bother asking the staff to change what they were preparing.

"So, you must be nervous, huh?" Terra asked.

"A little," Valora said, chuckling, "I think I'll get used to all of this pretty soon though."

"I'm sure you'll be great," Terra said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Um...I'm curious, why did Robin and Raven leave and...are there any tensions or issues between the others that I should know about?" Valora asked.

"Robin and Raven said they were leaving because they were tired of leading and dealing with some of the drama. I think Raven wanted to get away from Beast Boy, after he was tricked into attacking her...I don't think she could really deal with being around him again after that. And I'll bet Robin left because Starfire...was not taking his new relationship with Raven well. Other than that, I think we're alright," Terra said.

"It's too bad they left like that, then. They should have at least patched things up," Valora said.

"I don't think they could have...at least, not without breaking up and going back to doing things like they used to - which is not moving on at all," Terra said.

"I think I understand," Valora said.

"Just don't worry about it, we'll get you and Razor set up and everything should be cool," Terra said.

A waiter came up and dropped off a pizza on the table in front of Terra, smiling at her and saying there'll be no charge before walking away. Terra offered Valora the box, insisting she take a piece first. Just then, Terra's communicator went off. She took it out and answered it - she couldn't see anyone on the screen, she could just hear a voice on the other end.

"Is this the new leader of the Teen Titans?" the unknown caller asked.

"Yeah, who's this?" Terra asked.

"The new herald of the master of your fate. Welcome to the new world," the caller replied.

After the caller finished his sentence, there was a low rumble followed by what felt like a small earthquake and a large cloud of dark billowing smoke that was rising on the horizon in the city. Terra jumped out of her seat and pulled a large boulder from the earth and brought it up to her and Valora. As they both stepped on, Terra moved them to where the smoke was billowing. They looked down on the rubble that used to be the abandoned library where Trigon's cult was found before. Terra and Valora weren't there for more than a minute before they heard a second explosion, and looked over to Titans Tower - there was now a large crater in front of the tower on the small island.

"...you will give us Trigon's daughter, Raven, or you and your city will be our first casualties," the caller said, speaking up once more.

"Yeah right. I do that, and the world is at risk. Not happening," Terra said.

"I'm giving you thirty days to decide...then you will experience the breadth of our wrath," the caller warned, before hanging up.

(Sorry that some of these chapters are so short, it has been a busy summer, and it isn't letting up. That said, I'd love to know how well or poorly you think this story is proceeding, so please review :). Thank you! The next chapter is scheduled for the 25th. ~RavensMind


	6. O: A Difficult Choice to Make

(As the drive to do something once enjoyed fades, what is one to do? There comes a point when you have to ask yourself if something is still truly meaningful and worthwhile to you... Perhaps the time has come at last to decide - what do I do about this fascination and interest? Do I pass it off? Do I finish it? Or do I just abandon it altogether? I have some sort of vision, but...I just need to divest myself of this perhaps.

At long last, I must admit that I have outgrown my attachment to this character - as loveable as she is. Raven, I should have given you more time while I could, I should have written more for you while I was still so fascinated. You remain a character I adore, but I can no longer continue writing these silly fan fics. Not after what I've seen the New Teen Titans have done to you...It feels wrong on some level, because you are no longer yourself and this makes me question my own picture of you. You are now younger in your interactions, less clever, and far less active.

Surely some of you must admit, it is a bit creepy to continue with these - given the character's new persona in this re-imagined "New Teen Titans." Silly shorts for a younger crowd do not possess the spirit of the old show, which was much more involved and intense.

So, this is me signing off from these Teen Titan fan-stories, until either the old show is brought back in its old form, or the new one matures in some way (which I don't see happening). Forgive me for starting something that I did not finish, but I didn't see this new take on the show coming. My work has also started getting more intensive, so I can't devote as much time as I'd like and this would deserve - but this is NOT what is driving this decision. It has to do with the re-imaging of these characters and this show by the "updated" one now airing.

If anyone wants to know how this story would have progressed, as well as a few strong lines of dialogue from some of these characters - do say so, either in a pm or review. Or if you enjoy this enough and you feel like you could finish the rest, say so and we'll talk.

Enjoy this last bit which is not technically apart of the story, or even the ending I had designed, but is still nice in itself... ~RavensMind~)

Chapter ~Ode to Raven and Robin~

Putting down her book, Raven turned to Robin, who was busy organizing his new utility belt.

"I think that look suits you better," Raven said.

"Still getting used to all the damn hair," Robin said.

"Me too," she said.

Robin had a new uniform made for him as well as a new utility belt, and had grown out his hair longer. Being 'Robin' was great, but he felt that it was time to move on from that - to something as different as their situation. Nightwing sounded like the perfect direction.

Raven had grown out her hair as well, and was wearing a white cloak given to her by Azar. She gave Robin a small smile and nudged him gently.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

"Definitely," he replied.

"Where are we going, exactly?" she asked.

"It's a surprise, I told you," he said, grinning.

"...Fine. But it had better be good," she said.

"Have I let you down yet?" he asked.

"Honestly-," she started.

"Don't finish that thought," he said.

"Fine. Can you at least give me a hint? If not, I'll just skip the game and check your mind for the answer," she said.

"Alright. It's not here," he said, chuckling as he said it.

"I hate you right now," she said.

"Don't worry about it, just...have fun being with me," he said.

"Right..." she said.

"Look, I promise I have your interests at heart with this, will you just trust me?" he asked.

"Okay. So, are we walking or-?" she started.

"Before we go, I just wanted to tell you that I couldn't have done all of this without you here. I don't know if I could have left the Titans, or Batman's side if someone hadn't pushed," he said.

"You sound like you're never going to see me again. Stop it," she said.

"Well, this is a big moment for me - I just wanted you to know how happy I am that you're here with me," he said.

"Thank you, Robin. I...know I wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't helped me. I love you," she said.

"I love you too," he said.

Robin took Raven's hand and led her out of their room and down the stairs of Wayne Manor, out the door, and into the waiting helicopter. From there, it would be a long flight to their new city. Crime was getting out of control and some old "friends" had decided to lay claim to the city's underworld. Nightwing and Raven could deal with them as they always deal with issues - together.


	7. R: Reconsideration

(This is just a small update, still sorting some things out but... I feel like this story isn't as strong as 'Mentors I', I'm not giving it enough time - the updates are more condensed than I feel they should be, maybe because I'm setting deadlines for myself - and I'm pissed about the reboot show that is completely unfaithful to the core of the first iteration.

I wasn't expecting the reaction that the decision to end received so...since I feel bad about not finishing it, and I do have the rest of the plot worked out anyway...I'll finish the story, and I'll think about where to go after that.

Just setting a ground rule here: there will be no formally scheduled updates from here on out, as I'm quite busy and I don't want to publish something I'm not happy with.

So, Chapter 6 will be coming, it will just not have an eta- so follow or favorite for it.

Thank you to EduTorresD, Matt Diesel, and Way of the Sheikah for your words on this matter, I really appreciated each response, and I needed to hear all of that.

This story will continue, to spite the new iteration of the show, and because it needs to.

Look out for Chapter 6 :) ~RavensMind~)


	8. 6: Construction of an Eruption

(And it continues... Read, review, and enjoy! ~RavensMind~)

Chapter 6: Construction of the Eruption

What once seemed like an easily forgettable warehouse of sorted effects, the base of operations for the newly formed cult of Trigon was now outfitted and ready to serve its slew of malcontented crazies. Despite the group lacking actual orders from Trigon, their organizer figured they could make do without. It seemed fairly simple: capture the gem, follow the rituals, and all would go as planned for their master. Some among the group feared that Trigon was actually gone, but others knew better.

Sending the Titans a message in the way they had was only the first of many destructive acts to follow. The second act was a bit more involved, considering that they had to fool one disgruntled Titan into working for them. Trigon had left them a few tools with which they could exact this plan – including the same mind trick that caused the Titans to go insane for a time. The organizer wanted to see how disgruntled this Titan was before resorting to wasting any resources on her. If any of it failed, they could always threaten destroying something in the city again with their special weapon of choice.

One thing that bore into their minds was this: if they failed again – Trigon would not be able to return to the world of the living in any shape or form for the next thousand years...

Again. It's happening again. Just when things were starting to improve, somehow her father had to bring it all to ruin. Raven could hardly believe it when Terra had called and told her of what had happened in Jump that day. Two attacks and more were certainly inevitable. There would be some new angle to this; she felt it in her heart. One angle so shrouded, she and her friends would have to twist themselves in so many knots to find it. She was expecting something close to home, something easily missed...wait - what if they're just amateurs trying to mess with the Titans by imitating her father's cult. The thirty days condition was odd and not like her father and it didn't sit well with her.

Raven had yet to mention the news to Robin, as Robin was busy going over surveillance tapes for Batman. She knew what she was going to say and all, but didn't want to deal with any sort of rash decision that he might make in light of the news. She could talk to Azar about all of this, but Raven decided to wait until their next training session, as she was assuming that Azar already knew something about this news - if this was truly Trigon, she would.

Getting off the bed, she grabbed her cloak and put it on before walking out of the room and heading downstairs. Reaching the main floor, she made for the library where she found Robin, sprawled out on a sofa with his headphones on. Taking a break, no doubt. Well, time to ruin it...

Looking up at Raven, Robin paused his music and lifted the headphones from his head. Damn it. From her expression, he knew that this was not going to be a personal conversation. He could almost always tell now - after so many late night sessions going over new threats, he now expected her routine. Sitting up, he prepared for any kind of report.

"So...What happened and what do we know?" Robin asked, before Raven could say anything.

"We think my father's cult is back...they blew up the old library in Jump, and blew something up just outside of Titans Tower on the island as a message. They have demanded that the Titans give me to them within thirty days, or they will strike again," Raven explained.

"Wait, isn't your father supposed to be barred from this world?" Robin asked.

"That's what we believe, so this could be my father's cult without his leadership, someone trying to use the cult's reputation to intimidate us, or we could be wrong and my father has returned," Raven said.

"What are the others doing about it so far?" Robin asked.

"They're going to investigate what they can, starting with the voice of whoever called Terra and issued the threat, and then follow the usual procedure," she said.

"Good. So, I guess we'll wait and see what they find?" he asked.

"Right. We'll step in when and if the situation warrants it," she said.

"Just what I was thinking," he said.

Shifting uneasily as she stood, Raven looked away from Robin towards the bookshelf. So far he hasn't suggested anything rash, so I suppose everything is okay, she thought to herself. Robin moved over on the couch and motioned for her to join him. Moving from her spot, she sat down beside him, trying not to anticipate any kind of reaction from him.

"You okay?" Robin asked.

"You have to ask?" Raven asked.

"Thought I'd see if you were going to snap at me or not," he said.

"I'm just...I don't know, tired?" she asked.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Definitely," she replied.

"Hey, it could just be some half-baked copycat testing the new team's resolve," he said.

"True. Yet, I know better, we both do," she said.

"We'll handle it," he said.

"And then what?" she asked.

"Hopefully that will be the end of it," he said.

"As long as there are gullible, desperate idiots, Trigon will always have his cult," she said.

"Maybe, but how do you know that's who they really are?" he asked.

"Cults appeal to people like that and my father knows it, he has perfected this whole recruitment thing," she said.

"It seems like it...Look, I've been working most of the day and I haven't had much time to relax, and by the looks of it - you could use some down time too, so can we put all of this aside for a while?" he asked.

"You're actually asking me to put a case aside? That's...a switch," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"I know, I'm kicking myself right now, I'm just too tired to know how to react to this," he said.

"Okay, well...what did you have in mind?" she asked.

"Whoa, not so fast - you're still tense, you need to relax," he said.

"And how do you suggest I do that?" she asked.

Robin took off his cape, put it on the floor, and motioned for Raven to take off her cloak. She shrugged and indulged him, putting her cloak on the side of the sofa. He leaned back towards the corner of the back of the couch and pulled her with him. Raven curled up with Robin and tried to clear her mind as he turned off his communicator.

"Nightwing?" Raven asked.

"Yes, Raven?" Robin asked.

"Have you mentioned our plan to Bruce yet?" she asked.

"I will...And you're not relaxing," he said.

"Sorry. What do you want to talk about?" she asked.

"Are you going to be calling me Nightwing all the time now?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked.

"It's a little official sounding, not really personal," he said.

"So, do you want me to call you by your real name when we're together, or 'Robin'?" she asked.

"'Robin'," he said.

"Shame...'Nightwing' is a little - well...can't believe I'm even saying this...sexy," she said, an embarrassed expression practically flashing on her face.

"Oh really? Well...call me that when we're "very personal,"" he said, grinning.

"So, officially, I'll call you Nightwing, personally, I'll call you Robin, and 'very personally' I'll call you Nightwing?" Raven asked.

"Right. You know, Starfire tried to get me to call her my 'pretty little pony' after some show, and we weren't even getting that close," Robin said.

"Pretty what? Who in their right mind would associate themselves with something as stupid as that? Ridiculous," she said.

"I know. But you, you're my-," he began.

"If you finish that sentence anywhere outside of our room, you'll be looking for your teeth," she said.

"Oh, it's not like it's bad," he said.

"Don't," she said.

"Alright. Let's just relax," he said.

"Sure," she said.

"Any chance we can get out of this mansion for a while later?" he asked.

"Robin, Azar needs us to stay in until I've finished perfecting these powers. It's difficult to predict how we'll react when these powers finally develop," she said.

"So, how long will that take?" he asked.

"I'm almost finished learning the spells in one of the books Azar gave me. When I've fully grasped those spells, then we'll be able to do what we want, a day or two more at most," she said.

"So, I guess I can't learn any of those, or are you just not going to teach me any?" he said.

"Don't spoil your own surprise…" she said, giving a half-smile.

"Really?" he asked.

"You've been overworking yourself trying to find this criminal…I might have found something that will help you endure all that fun…and more," she said.

"That sounds awesome," he said, smiling.

"Sorry if you're bored, but I hope that will make up for it," she said.

"I'm not bored, Raven, I'm more interested than ever. And I'm going to need all the help I can get if we have another cult on our hands," he said.

"Right. About that…we may have to go back to Jump," she said.

"Raven, they can handle it, if they need our help, they'll ask. Give them a chance to figure it out…Unless you just want to see Beast Boy again," he said, teasing.

"No. Anything but that…I just hope they don't go insane again, or worse…" Raven said, curling up closer to Robin.

(The updates will be random like this one from here on out, but I promise I will finish this story. ~RavensMind~)


	9. 7: Acceptance

(Read, review, and enjoy as always : ) ~RavensMind~)

Chapter 7: Acceptance

Outside Titans Tower, the Titans assembled near the still smoldering crater. After sweeping the city to try and trace the source of the missiles, Cyborg surprised everyone when he said that he found three possible sites. Of course, this didn't dismiss the idea of there being more than three; it was possible that others were better hidden. Terra and Cyborg decided to split the team into groups to go and investigate the three sites.

"So, we'll be fighting right? No way these things will be unguarded, right dude?" Beast Boy asked Cyborg.

"It looks like it," Cyborg said.

"We'll pair off and see what we find at these sites. Cyborg and I will search the site on the far side of the city, Razor and Starfire will search the site near the docks and the woods, and Beast Boy and Valora will go and search the site by the stadium. Everyone cool with that?" Terra asked.

"Yeah, could I join Starfire instead?" Valora asked.

"Figures," Beast Boy said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Valora asked.

"Look, just go with Beast Boy, I want to search these sites as quickly as we can," Terra said.

"Alright," Valora said, grumbling softly.

"Report in on the comm when you've searched the site, even if you haven't found anything," Cyborg said.

"Must we return here at a certain time?" Starfire asked.

"Depends on what we all find, Star," Cyborg said.

"Guess we'll just march off to war then, huh?" Razor asked.

"We don't know what we'll find," Terra said.

"Right," Razor said.

"I hope we do find 'em, we'll teach them to mess with our city," Beast Boy said.

"Damn right. Titans go!" Cybrog said.

Splitting off into pairs, the Titans flew to their sites, preparing for whatever they may find. Valora and Razor hadn't trained with the rest of the team yet, so whatever they found would be as surprised to witness their abilities as the other Titans. Valora and Beast Boy had a deathly silent trip to their site, while Terra and Cyborg went over some plans for the team in the evening, and Starfire wouldn't stop asking Razor random questions. Even as each pair neared their site, they anticipated trouble.

Sitting at his computer, looking over images of the missile sites that Cyborg had sent to him, Robin tried to find some detail that would tell him something, anything. Even if it was the word "hi," he really didn't care at this point, as long as it led them to the cult. He wasn't even supposed to be working on the case, as Raven pointed out – the team could handle it, and looking into it doesn't show much confidence in them. While he agreed, he knew that if he was still running the team, he'd want every resource, everyone he could get, to work until they had the situation resolved. Raven had gone back up to her room to meditate, in preparation to finish the first group of spells and powers she had acquired.

As he poured over what information they had, he leaned back in his chair and focused on the sites arrangement, wondering if they had something to tell. It seemed like he was reaching, but it wasn't impossible. Not a few seconds later, Robin heard Azar's voice in his head:

"If you are not so indisposed with wasting your energy, I need your help with Raven," Azar said.

"I'm not wasting my- wait, what's wrong with her?" Robin asked.

"Nothing, but we need you to help her mind accept these powers and spells," Azar said.

"So, what do you need me to do?" Robin asked.

"Find Raven's meditation mirror in her room and enter her mind, you need to talk to some of her emotions, and a new figment in her mind. She'll be aware that you're in her mind, but she won't be able to tell what exactly you're doing," Azar replied.

"Figment?" he asked.

"You do not need to understand yet, it will become clear once you do as I have asked," Azar said.

"And what do I say? Will this hurt her at all?" he asked.

"Convince her emotions to accept the figment, as well as your presence – if it seems to demand that you do so. As far as this hurting her, I can say only that it may have some future consequences, but it is very important that you do this for her now," Azar said.

"Right…Can I talk to her first?" he asked.

"She is in a deep trance at the moment, honing her abilities, and you need to help her by doing this," Azar said.

"If you're lying, or trying to "fix" something…" Robin started.

"I promise, I would exact the implied righteous vengeance on myself, if it was so…" Azar said.

"So what are these consequences?" he asked.

"You will gain some measure of her power, and since you don't know how to wield it properly – you could hurt something. As much as I protested, she insisted that I help her help you with this," Azar said.

"Woah, I'm not sure if I'm okay with that, but…I guess I have to help her now. Anything else?" Robin asked.

"She'll have to meditate longer and may cause some pain to do so, but is nothing she cannot handle. Her temper may also be shorter and slightly harder to control, but that shouldn't cause you any concern. Criminals may not appreciate it, but…that is a bonus," Azar said.

"I'm not exactly supporting this, but if it will help us, I guess I'll get over it," he said.

"Now, if you'll just go and do as I've asked, we can get this over with," Azar said

Getting up from his chair, Robin left the office and made his way across the hall and ascended the staircase. Navigating through the twisting halls, he reached Raven's room and entered. Hovering in midair over a pentagram on the floor with a book and several rose pedals in an obsidian chalice in front of her, Raven appeared completely focused. A faint ring of blue light looked as though it was surrounding her figure at the waist. Turning from Raven, Robin walked over to the dresser and picked up Raven's meditation mirror and stared into it. Before being torn from the room and shot into the mirror, Robin heard Raven's voice in his head: "Don't be unsettled by what you find– I'll be here to bring you back no matter what… Nightwing."

As they approached what they presumed was the site location, Starfire and Razor began looking for any sign of activity in the area. Letting go of Starfire, Razor dropped onto the ground. Landing beside Razor, Starfire got her communicator out, preparing to call the others if they found anything. They had touched down at the edge of the woods, expecting to be met swiftly by whoever was guarding the site. They found some tire tracks in the mud that led into the woods from the nearby warehouses. Razor bent down and picked up a badge of some sort, bearing the mark of Scathe.

"What is it?" Starfire asked.

"Convenient, more than anything else…but I haven't seen this before, do you know what it is?" Razor asked, tossing it to Starfire.

"This is the mark of Scathe, it is the symbol of Trigon, but we defeated him," Starfire explained.

"Maybe you defeated him, but his followers seem very much alive. Report in and tell the others what we've found," Razor said.

"Yes, I will," Starfire said.

Starfire used the communicator and reached Terra as Razor poked around the tree line.

"Hey, you guys find anything?" Terra asked.

"We've discovered a badge with the mark of Scathe on it by some tire tracks," Starfire said.

"Tire tracks? We've found some as well," Terra asked.

"Might be a truck hauling a SCUD missile," Razor said, examining the treads.

"Hmm. Well, try and find the truck and then get the badge back to the tower, we've almost finished here – we've found a broken cell phone here that we'll bring back as soon as we can," Terra said.

"Very well, I wish you luck," Starfire said.

"Thanks, I'll let Beast Boy and Valora know what you found too. See you soon," Terra said, ending the call.

"Shall we follow the tire tracks?" Starfire asked.

"Well, it looks like the truck is still in the woods, but we should know where it came from as well, don't you think?" Razor asked.

"Yes, that would be helpful. Shall I go and find where it came from while you search for it?" Starfire asked.

"Alright, if you need help or find something just call me on the communicator, and I'll call you if I need help or find something," Razor said.

"Of course," Starfire said.

With that, Razor turned and began following the tracks into the woods as Starfire flew in the direction of the warehouses.

After several minutes of following the tracks into the woods, Razor quickened his pace as a structure came into his view. It appeared to be some sort of stone crypt, but there were no gravestones around it or any other sign of civilization. Who would put something like this all the way out here, and why? As he got closer, Razor saw a group of people just off to the side of the structure, getting a battering ram of sorts off of a truck. Continuing to approach, Razor noticed that the truck was military grade, long enough to theoretically carry a missile. One person in the group ahead spotted him and alerted the others. Without warning, the group took out pistols and began to open fire. Razor dived behind a tree and took out his sword. Climbing the tree, he leapt to the branch of a tree closer to the group.

"That the new Titan?" one person asked.

"Know of any other costumed freaks around here?" another asked.

"Come on out and fight!" one asked.

There were about twelve people on the ground holding pistols, it didn't seem like taking them down would be too difficult.

Robin landed on a rock platform floating in a black sea. Strange, Beast Boy and Cyborg described this differently… Looking around, he saw no endless platforms in space with dark birds flying about. There was a stone pathway from the platform up to a large, blue gazebo on top of a small mountain. Taking the first step towards the gazebo, he felt the atmosphere change slightly; there was a faint sense of dread. Taking a few more steps, Robin saw a gray-robed Raven slowly rise from the black sea, and hover over to meet him.

"Raven?" Robin asked.

"No, not anymore, I've been made to see that I am one of her emotions, for all the good that might do – but I don't think it'll help," the Raven said.

"And what emotion is that?" he asked.

"Fear," she said softly.

"So why are you meeting me here?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why yet, I was just sent here. You won't like what I say. Nobody does," she said.

"But you don't know that. You know me, you know I care about what Raven says," he said.

"Yeah, I know you care, Love won't stop bringing it up, and Cleverness agrees with her, but in the end I know that will end someday," she said.

"How do you know it will end?" he asked.

"Even though you will be with her for all time, you'll have to forget everything when your body dies. There's no guarantee that you'll still care when you're reborn, if THAT will even work," she said.

"Do you need a guarantee? Is there some way I could give that to you?" he asked.

"That's sort of why you're here now that you mention it…Raven wants to make you one of us so you can share and bolster some of her powers, as well as help managing me and the others. But even that's a long shot, everything fails in some way," she said, looking down into the sea.

"Hey, I'm here, and I'll do whatever I can to keep Raven, but I need you to help me, okay?" Robin said, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"But you might not like me later, no one does, this won't work, and you'd be better off leaving now," she said.

As Fear finished speaking and looked back down into the sea, Robin pulled her close and put his arms around her. Taken aback, Fear almost jumped.

"Just stop looking ahead and focus here – I will help Raven and you need to help me so I can do that," Robin said.

"Alright…You need to go and talk to Love and then Cleverness; they'll help you from there," Fear said.

"Why can't you come with me?" Robin asked.

"It's not how this works…but I'll meet you later, maybe, but I doubt it," she said.

"Thanks for your help," he said.

Without a parting word, Fear hovered over the water for a few moments before disappearing back into the sea. Moving along the path towards the gazebo, Robin tried to make sense of what exactly was going on. As far as he could tell, Raven's emotions were going to be meeting him to try and figure out if they could deal with him. Yet, he didn't know much beyond what Fear, Azar, and Raven had said, maybe there was something more troubling to come. At any rate, he had to find 'Love' and 'Cleverness' to see what needed to be done.

Reaching the gazebo, he took a few steps towards the center. As he did so, he became increasingly aware that someone was watching him. Looking around, he spotted a purple cloaked Raven with long hair leaning on a wall of the gazebo. There was a sense of adoration that radiated in her eyes and it drew his senses to her. She wasn't smiling, she had a blank expression on her face, seemingly waiting for him to draw a smile on it. He felt like she was holding something back that was there earlier, but was suspended for a purpose.

"Hey…Love, I'm guessing? It wouldn't be anyone else, would it?" Robin asked.

"Yes. You met Fear, I can tell…sorry she was the first to speak to you but it was, well, out of anyone's control," Love said.

"Right…Is she around often?" he asked.

"More often than you might think, unfortunately, but we can talk about that later," she said.

"So, you have something you need to tell me?" he asked.

"No, but…" she started, hesitating.

"It's something difficult, isn't it?" he asked.

Averting her eyes before gliding swiftly over to him, she tried to find the words.

"I wish I didn't have to do this, but I can't be gentle, as I've been instructed not to," she said.

"Instructed?" he asked.

"This isn't just for us, it includes the other emotions, and we've agreed on what we would do to see how we will accept…this," she said, taking his hand.

"Are you saying Raven hasn't figured out if she really cares about me yet?" he asked.

"No, of course not. She has, I wouldn't be here with you if she hadn't…but some of the others haven't. They are not convinced that they can accept you as their equal," she said.

"This is just…" he started.

"Strange? Silly? Ridiculous?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," he said.

"It's what Raven has to deal with every day, and you being a part of this is what we all need, though some of the others can't figure that out. You need it too," she said.

"I…can't be frustrated with you, can I? You're really one of the few supporting this, aren't you?" he asked.

"With all my power," she said, taking his other hand.

"Right. Show me how I can help," he said, smiling at her.

"Close your eyes…Nightwing," she said.

Doing as he was told, Robin shut his eyes, waiting for whatever Love had in mind. He felt her let go of his hands and step away.

"Open them," she said, a few moments later.

When he opened his eyes, Robin didn't see Love anywhere, he was alone in the gazebo. As he started to glance around the room, he caught something out of the corner of his eye that made him spin around. Off to one side of the room stood Batman and Alfred who were chained to the wall, on the other side sat the profile of the Caller he had been working on with missing info, to the left of that there was a model Titans Tower in flames, next to a tearful Starfire, and directly in front of him was Raven, meditating in a steel cage.

"When all you care about is in peril, which do you tend to first? Would the ones you neglected while you worked for another forgive you? It really depends, doesn't it? The choice is before you: save one, risk the others, and possibly their wrath," Love said, her voice echoing in Robin's head.

"Really? Mind games?" he asked.

"I'm sorry – I truly am, but the others need to know – I don't, I already do," Love responded.

Looking from one choice to the other, Robin struggled to decide which would be the most beneficial. If he helped Raven, they could help Batman and Alfred, then tend to the Tower, and then search for the Caller. ..-

"Interesting that you're not considering helping Starfire in that constellation of choices," Love said.

"Starfire being sad isn't nearly as serious as the other problems," Robin said.

Returning to the choices before him, Robin knew what the obvious choice was, but wasn't sure if it was the one he'd be judged by. He also knew that Raven would forgive him if there was a serious problem, they worked that out when they were leading the Titans. The only question was if the emotions would know that…

(Hope I didn't reach too far with the emotion piece, let me know…~RavensMind~)


End file.
